The Philadelphia Flyers may be sellers, but that doesn’t mean they are going to send all of their deadline assets packing. Instead of shipping out pending free agent Rasmus Ristolainen, the team has signed him to a five-year extension that carries an average annual value of $5.1MM. PuckPedia has the full breakdown:
- 2022-23: $4.0MM
- 2023-24: $5.5MM
- 2024-25: $6.5MM
- 2025-26: $5.5MM
- 2026-27: $4.0MM
From the moment they acquired him last offseason, sending Robert Hagg, a 2021 first-round pick (14th overall) and a 2023 second-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres, the Flyers have maintained that they brought in Ristolainen to keep him. An extension was always the preference, though after a nightmare season for the team, one in which Ristolainen once again put up terrible analytical metrics (and continued his notorious streak of negative performances), it wasn’t clear if the Flyers would move in a different direction and recoup some of the expended assets at the deadline.
Instead, they’ll be locking in the 27-year-old defenseman to a long-term deal that takes him well into his thirties. Ristolainen has 13 points in 49 games this season while averaging more than 21 minutes a night, almost all of those even-strength minutes coming beside Travis Sanheim. He hasn’t proven to be the offensive catalyst he was in Buffalo without the extensive powerplay time, but still does bring a high level of physicality and contributes to the penalty kill. General manager Chuck Fletcher explained:
Rasmus is an important part of our team and we are very happy to have him on our blue line for the next five years. He is committed to being a Flyer, and brings a consistent physical presence to our team.
It’s that size-skating combo that makes Ristolainen such an attractive defenseman in theory. The 6’4″ behemoth can move around the ice with ease, jump in on plays or catch attackers by surprise with a big open-ice hit. But his decision-making, rush, and in-zone defense have still left something to be desired after the move to Philadelphia, something that the team is obviously comfortable moving forward with.
When Flyers CEO Dave Scott explained that he was giving Fletcher a “blank check” to fix the Flyers, big free agent splashes were expected. The team is getting an early start on that market by locking up Ristolainen, though his new deal will actually come in a hair lower than the $5.4MM cap hit he currently carries. Claude Giroux, Derick Brassard, Justin Braun, Keith Yandle, Kevin Connauton, Nick Seeler, and others remain unsigned, meaning the team still has some trade deadline bullets to fire if they want to add some assets in the weeks to come.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report a deal was close.
Risto should test the market.
Hooo boy oh no
Agreed, Risto is a 4/5, to long and over paid by at least $1M per season. Another stupid move by foolish fletch.
Risto was smart in taking over $25 million from the Flyers now.
They are stuck with him now! Might a well give him an ironclad NMC too.
Fletcher strikes again with a Bad extension on an expiring contract blocking players
That’s it. The rebuild failed. Fire Fletcher and blow up the team. Flyers won’t be good for at least 5 years.
Even yinzers who now acknowledge that Mike Matheson is a good player who brings a needed element to the Pens still whine about his contract.
This is what a mediocre NHL D man makes these days.
And yes, Fletcher is terrible. Always has been. Rode his dad’s name and Ray Shero’s coattails into so many jobs someone else was more qualified for and left the teams worse for it.
whew…
That’s a lot to spend on a mediocre defenseman. Yikes.
Would look a lot better at $4.5-4.75 mil but they desperately need toughness
Ristolainen is terrible.
Ahahahahahaha!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! This is HILARIOUSLY stupid. Purely a face-saving move, and none other. Rasmus must be giggling all the way to the bank.
And come on, Gavin. The guy isn’t scoring. He’s not good defensively. His metrics are terrible. He turns 28 next season, and he’s already been in decline for years. So who freaking cares how big he is or how much “physicality” he brings? There are oodles of big guys in the world who *cannot play hockey.* And Ristolainen’s proving himself to be one of them. He’s coasting on a reputation he built in his prime, which he’s well past.
Yup, fletch fafafakd up getting him now he can’t admit the mistake so he makes it worse.
gross